Sewing-machine.



L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

-APPLICATl0N FILED APR.23. 1917.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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L. E. TOPHAM. v

SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.23.1917.

1289,31 3., Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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L. E. TOPHAMI SEWING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED APR.23. I917.

1,%@9,313 Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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and awl in the LAURENCE E. TOPHAM, OF-SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, 018 PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAURENCE E. Tor- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to wax thread seW- ing machines such as are commonly used in stitching the outsoles of boots and shoes.

It is the object of the invention to provide a novel construction and arrangement of stitch formingand work feeding devices which will permit a continuous feed of the work without complication of parts, and which is well adapted for incorporation in existing machines. To this end the invention contemplates reciprocating both needle line of feed and mounting the work table and presser foot to reciprocate with one of these work piercing instruments. This divides the parts which have a feeding engagement with the work into two units, each of which is in engagement with the work whenever the other is out of active engagement therewith, thus permitting each. unit to be back-fed while the feed of the work is being continued by the other. A continuous feed of the work may thus be secured without the complication incident to independently reciprocating a greater number of parts and with a minimum change in the mechanism of existing machines.

In embodying the above feature of the invention in a lock stitch machine in which the stitch drawn by the needle is completed and is, set by the takeup before the awl pierces thework for the next stitch, the unit including the presser foot and work table is advanced to feed the work while the work piercing instrument of the unit is out of as well as while it is in the work. This is a subsidiary feature of the invention which ma be utilized with advantage to increase t e feeding period of each cycle in machines having the above mode of operation, even if the other work piercing intrument is not reciprocated.

The features of the invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanyingdrawings and thefollowing detailed description of the machine illustrated therein.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a sewing machine embodying a preferred form of the invention; Fig. 2 is a righthand side elevation; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional plan view showing the work table and needle segment; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a left-hand side elevation of the machine; and Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional detail showing the manner of mounting the presser foot on the feed slide.

embodied in a wax thread lock stitch machine' for sewing the outsoles of boots and shoes which is similar in general construction to the machine shown and described in Patent No. 473,870, April 26, 1892. The machine is provided with an awl 2, a hook needle 4, a looper 6, a shuttle .8, a thread lifter 10, a takeup 12, an auxiliary takeup 14, a thread clamp 16, a work table 18, and a presser foot 20, all of which are similar in construction to the corresponding parts in the machine of the patent, and all of which, with the exception of the awl, needle, rpresser foot and work table, are similarly mounted and operated. In the machine of the patent the awl is mounted on a reciproeating feed slide which is given its feeding movement while the awl is in the work, and its return movement while the needle is in the work, and while the work is clamped between the presser foot and work table.

In embodying the preferred form of the present invention in such a machine, the presser foot and work table are mounted on the awl carrying slide, and a feeding movement is given tothe slide while the awl is out of as well as while it is in the work. The needle is also mounted to reciprocate in the line of feed and the feeding movements of the two reciprocating units overlap, so that a continuous feed may be given to the work, each unit being given its return movement or back-feed during a part of the feeding movement of the other unit.

In the construction shown, the awl segment 21 is mounted to oscillate on a stud 22 secured in the upper end of a post 24 which The slide 26 is rises from the slide 26.

In the drawings the invention 1s shown mounted to reciprocate in the line of feed, and is connected by a lever 28 with the forward arm of a cam lever 30, the rear arm of which carries a roll 32 engaged by a cam 34 on the cam shaft 36 of the machine. The lever 28 forms a link connecting the slide 26 with a pivot block 38 mounted for adjustment in a curved slot in the forward arm of the cam lever 30. The lever may be moved to vary the position of the pivot block, and thus vary the length of the stitch, and the positions of the lever may be determined by pins 40 adapted to be secured in holes formed in a plate 42 which is secured to the slide 26. This construction of slide operating mechanism is substantially the same as the construction of the operating mechanism for the feed slide in the machine of the above patent. The awl is oscillated at the proper times by a gear segment 44 formed on the forward end of a cam lever and engaging gear teeth formed on the awl seg ment, the teethbeing so arranged that they .remain in mesh during the reciprocation of the slide 26, and do not interfere with the reciprocation of the awl in the line of feed The work table 18 is secured to the post 24 so that it reciprocates with the awl. The lever 46 to which the presser foot 20 is 'secured is also mounted on the post 24, so that it also reciprocates with the awl. As shown, the presser foot lever 46 is mounted on a stud 48 secured in the post back of the awl segment stud, and the hub of the lever is confined between the walls of the recess 50 in the upper end of the post. The lever 52 for actuating the presser foot is-mounted on a fixed stud 54, and is arranged to engagethe lever 46 at 5-6, and press it forward in a direction to force the presser foot on to the work. The lever 52 is provided with a presser foot lifting arm 58, which is provided with a finger adapted to engage a finger62 on the lever 46 when the arm is moved to rock-the actuating lever 52 and raise the presser foot. This connection between the actuating lever 52 and the presser foot carrying lever 46 permits the relative movement between the levers incident to reciprocating the presser foot with the ,awl and work supporting table.

The presser foot actuating lever 52 1s provided on its rear end with a ratchet segment 64.which is engaged by a locking pawl 66, The presser foot is forced against the work through the pressing lever 68 pivoted on the stud 54, and connected with the lever 52 through a pressure regulating spring 70 and link 72. The pressing lever 68 is provided with a ratchet segment 74 engaged by a pawl 7 6 carried by a lever 78, which is operated by a cam on the cam shaft of the machine. The lever 7 8 is also provided with a leaf spring which engages the locking pawl 66 and moves it yieldingly toward the weenie ratchet segment 64. This construction is similar to the construction. for locking and unlocking the presser foot and forcing it against the work in the machine of the above patent. The pawls 66 and 76 may be disengaged from' the coiiperating ratchet segments when the presser foot is to-be lifted by hand through an unlocking lever 82 pivoted on the stud 52, and connected at its lower end to a link 84, the lower arm of'which is slotted to embrace a pin on the pawl 66, and the upper arm of which is arranged to en-' gage a pin on the pawl 76,.

The needle segment 86 is mounted to oscil late on a stud '88 which is arranged in line with the awl segment stud 22 and is mounted to reciprocate in the line of feed in a hearing formed in a fixed bracket arm 90. The

needle segment is confined between the collars 92 on the stud, so that it will move with the stud in the line of feed, while being free to oscillate thereon. The needle carrying stud is reciprocated by a lever 94, the forward end of which fits within a transverse 'slot formed in the stud, and the rear end of which is slotted to embrace a pin 96 which is adjustably secured in the slotted arm of a cam lever 98. The rear end of the cam lever carries a roll engaged by a cam on the cam shaft of the machine. By adjusting the pin 96 in the cam lever, the movement transmitted to the needle carrying stud may be varied in accordance with the length of stitch to besewn.

In case the machine is provided with a Baltimore edge attachment, or a fudge stitch attachment, these evices are preferably mounted onthe feed slide, so that they move with the awl, table. and presser foot.

The parts are operated and timed as follows. Assuming that the awl is about to enter the work, the presser foot will be locked in pressing engagement-"with the work, and the table, presser foot and awl will be moving in the direction of feed, the work at this time being fed by the presser foot and work table, while the awl and needle are both retracted and out of en agement with the work. ile the work is being advanced by the presser foot and work table, the stitch last drawn by the needle will be completed, and the takeup will be operated to set the stitch, the setting of the stitch being completed just before the awl is advanced to pierce the work. As the awl completes its upward or work piercing stroke, the forward feed of the awl, work table and presser foot brings the awl into line with the needle. The awl is then retracted, and is followed by the needle which, before it reaches the work, begins to move in the direction'of the feed. As the needle I move in this direction until it is withdrawn from the work. While the needle is in the work the presser foot is unlocked, the awl, table and presser foot are back-fed, the presser foot is pressed against the work and locked, and the awl, presser foot and table begin their forward feeding movement. After the needle has withdrawn from-the work it is back-fed, and remains in position until the awl again'comes into line with it, when the cycle is repeated.

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, in embodying the invention in the. machine of the patent referred to, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential to the broader features of the invention, and may be varied or modified-as found desirable or best suited to the construction of the machine in which it is to be embodied. It will also be understood that the invention contemplates moving the work table and presser foot with either the needle or awl, although it is preferred to move these parts with the awl in embodying the invention in the machine of the patent, since this involves a minimum change in the mechanisms .of the machine.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of mechanism in which it may be embodied, what is claimed is 1. A sewing machine, having, in combination, work piercing instruments including a needle and an awl, a work table, a presser foot, mechanism for moving one of the work piercing instruments, the work table and the presser foot in the direction of the feed while said instrument is in and while both work piercing instruments are out of the work, and for back-feeding said instrument, work table and presser foot together while the other instrument is in the work.

2. A sewing machine, having, in combination, a needle, an awl, a work table, a presser foot, mechanism for moving the awl, work table and presser foot in the direction of the feed while the awl is in and while both the awl and needle are out of the work, and for back-feeding the presser foot and work table together while the needle is in the work.

3. A sewing machine, having, in combination, work piercing instruments including a needle and an awl, a work table, a presser foot, mechanism for moving one of the work piercing instruments in the direction of feed while in the work, and mechanism for moving the other parts together in the direction of the feed while said instrument is out of the work and returning them together while said instrument is'in the work.

4. A sewing machine, having, in combination, a needle, an awl, a work table, a presser foot, mechanism for moving the needle in the direction of the feed while in the work, and mechanism for moving the awl, work table and presser foot in the direction of the feed while the needle is out of the work and returning them together while the needle is in the work.

5. A sewing machine, having, in combination, a needle mounted to reciprocate in the line of feed, and an awl, a work table and a presser foot mounted to reciprocate together in the line of feed.

6. A sewing machine, having, in combination, a needle, a needle carrier mounted to reciprocate in the line of feed, an awl, a work table, a presser foot, and a feed slide carrying the awl, work table and presser foot mounted to reciprocate in the line of feed.

LAURENCE E. TOPHAM. 

